


The Truth

by CosmicChill



Category: Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Cloud Strife Needs a Hug, Dreams and Nightmares, Edgy, F/M, Final Fantasy VII Remake Spoilers, How Do I Tag, Major Character Injury, Nightmares, One Shot, Post-Game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 04:27:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28825194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CosmicChill/pseuds/CosmicChill
Summary: Cloud talks to Aerith alone in a strange place, and Aerith demands to know the cause of his sudden mental breakdowns
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife
Comments: 3
Kudos: 28





	The Truth

**Author's Note:**

> The following fic features spoilers for the Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Proceed with caution.

Cloud's whole body was motionless. All he could feel was the ground beneath him as his eyes rested. The cold air gave him goosebumps and it picked up a certain scent, one that smelt both familiar and different at the same time. As he tried to rest, he heard a voice called out to him. A recognizable voice saying his name repeatedly. The voice got louder and louder, Cloud had no choice but to open his eyes. And there he saw Aerith, kneeling beside him. 

"Good to see you're alive!" She joked. 

Cloud observed his surrounding as he laid down. A white void with flowers of all kinds as far as the eye can see. The scent was carried throughout the air. Where was he? And where's everyone else?

Cloud picked himself up, and so did Aerith. Cloud immediately started to walk around, but Aerith grabbed his arm to get his attention. 

"Where you goin'?" asked Aerith. 

"I'm gonna find out where we are," Cloud replied. 

"Don't think we can, this place feels endless," 

"Do you know where everyone else is?"

"Nope, you're the only person I've found so far," 

"Well, we should go out and find everyone else."

"Sounds like a plan!"

And so, Cloud and Aerith started to explore the nearly empty void of flowers. No enemies in sight, it almost felt like a casual stroll. As they explored, Aerith recognized some of the flowers planted on the ground from the ones near her house. They walked for what feels like hours, and unfortunately, still no signs of the others. 

"Maybe we should take a break. I'm getting tired of walking around aimlessly." Aerith suggested. 

Cloud didn't want to stop now, but a small break wouldn't hurt. Aerith roamed around the area, while Cloud leaned on his buster sword and watched Aerith. He started to wonder what this place truly is. An void filled with flowers of all kinds with no end in sight. It definitely wasn't a normal place. 

"Cloud!" Aerith called out Cloud as she ran towards him with something behind her back. Cloud prepared himself for any sort of joke Aerith might play at his expense. 

"I've got special gift for you, wanna see?" 

"Not interested," Cloud responded. 

Aerith revealed what was behind her back. A yellow flower, the same one Aerith gave to him in their first meeting with each other and the ones the grow in the church. 

"Remember what it represents?" she asked. 

Cloud stood silent, he couldn't remember. 

"It's represents...reunion." Aerith reminded him. 

As Aerith said reunion, Cloud's head started pound. He held his head with his left hand, while trying to balance himself with his sword in his right hand. The SOLDIER tried to repress the incoming storm of painful memories and images but it was impossible to stop it now. 

Cloud saw flashes of all the moments leading up to now. Him meeting Aerith, the Whispers harassing the party, the death of Jessie and Biggs, the destruction of Sector 7, Tifa crying in his arms, fighting Jenova, entering the Singularity with the team, fighting the harbinger, and all of his encounters and memories of Sephiroth. especially the moments when they fought face-to-face and him stabbing Barret in the chest. 

Cloud desperately wanted to remove all the past memories of Sephiroth, all they caused now were despair. But he can't, he has to live with the memories of his betrayal towards him and the burning of his home. 

Then Cloud, felt Aerith's touch on his right shoulder. He turned to look at her, she was visibly distressed and for good reason. 

"Are you okay, Cloud?" Aerith quietly asked. 

Cloud stared at Aerith without any thought. Then took a deep breath, put his buster sword away, and calmed himself down. "I'm fine."

He walked away and Aerith's hand slid away from his shoulder. Aerith didn't follow, she only stood behind him. 

"Cloud..." Aerith said in trembling and defeated tone of voice. 

"I said I'm fine." Cloud said, raising his voice at her as he kept walking. 

Tears welled up in the florist's eyes, she paced towards Cloud. She paced faster and faster until she reached him. Aerith grabbed Cloud's arm and forcefully tugged it. Cloud turned to Aerith, clearly angry. 

"Stop lying to me!" Aerith shouted as loud as she could, so much that the echo of her voice could be heard. Aerith began to cry in front of him. 

Cloud was stunned, she never saw Aerith this upset. Aerith slowly let go of Cloud's arm and stepped back a bit. 

"You're not fine, Cloud. You're just not, I know you're not," Aerith said. 

Cloud didn't expect Aerith to state this out loud to him. He starts to feel awful for not confessing to her or anyone before. 

"Just tell me what's wrong, Cloud. Tell me the truth." begged Aerith. 

Another wave of silence. Cloud was afraid to tell Aerith anything. He didn't know how to properly open up to anyone or even tell his story. Cloud turned away from Aerith, tilted his head to the ground, and closed his eyes. 

"Tell her the truth, Cloud. Don't be afraid" A mysterious but familiar voice called out the Cloud behind him, followed by a brief chuckled. 

Cloud's eyes quickly opened up and her turned around. Aerith was gone. And in her place, was Sephiroth. Smiling in that smug and devious manner as always. With his single black wing on his back. Cloud tensed up immediately felt a surge of emotions within him. Fear, sadness, and anger. Cloud unsheathed his sword and was prepared to strike him. The memories of all of his meetings with Sephiroth flood back into his head.

"You've gotten so much weaker, Cloud. You can't even confess your true feelings towards your precious little ancient." Sephiroth teased. 

"Shut the hell up, you bastard!" Cloud furiously shouted. 

"You can't keep it to yourself anymore. Tell my story. Tell her the truth, tell the truth, tell her the truth..." Sephiroth chanted. 

The chant rung in Cloud's head. He gripped his sword tighter and tighter. The longer Sephiroth stood there, the angrier it made him. And without hesitation, Cloud dashed towards Sephiroth. Sephiroth still chanted and stood without moving an inch. Cloud shut his eyes as a single tear ran through his cheek. Then, the SOLIDER held his sword with both hands and struck the angel in the chest, impaling him. 

Dead silence.

Cloud with his eyes still shut, still gripped his weapon. Cloud slowly opened his eyes and saw...Aerith. With blood slowly trickling down her mouth, paralyzed. Cloud looked down to see his sword stuck in Aerith's chest. He looked up at Aerith, she choked and more blood emerged from her mouth. Cloud still stood there, traumatized. Her body slid out of the Cloud's sword. Cloud tried to catch her, but was too late. Aerith's body dropped to the ground with the flowers. A pool of blood slowly formed underneath her.

Cloud dropped his sword and went to Aerith's aid. She writhed in pain, streams of tears flowed down her face, and couldn't even say a word. Cloud didn't know what to do or say. All he could do was hold her hand and look at her wound. The wound he made. Cloud started to cry, fully realizing what he's done. 

Suddenly, the flowers were set on fire. They engulfed all of the flowers and the white void was now suddenly shrouded in pitch black smoke. Cloud held Aerith him his arms in an attempt to protect her. He held her like his life depended on it. As he held her, all he could think about that it was his fault that he dragged her into all of this. He shouldn't have let her be involved in all of this. It's all his fault. It's all his fault. _It's all his fault._

* * *

Cloud shot up from his bed and heavily panted. He slowly stopped as he observed his surroundings. Barrett, Tifa, Red XIII, and Aerith all resting in beds. They're all staying in a motel for the night, outside of Midgar. Cloud felt a single tear on his face, he rubbed it away. 

Cloud gets out of the bed and exits the room, now among a hallway of various other rooms. He looks to the right of the hall and sees a flight of stairs. Cloud slowly walked up the stairs, processing what he remembers of what happened. Cloud reaches the end of the stairs, leading to a door. Cloud opens it and sees that he's on the roof of the motel. 

Cloud walks up the the railing of the rooftop and leans on it. He begins to lose himself in his own thoughts as stares into the star-filled night sky. 

Then he hears the door slam shut, he turns to see Aerith standing behind the door. Cloud tenses up, but pretends to not be bothered. 

"Why did you follow me?" Cloud sternly asked. 

"I was just wondering what you we're doing." Aerith answered. 

"I'm... I'm fine." Cloud replied as he turned back to the sky. 

"Did you have a nightmare?" asked Aerith. 

Cloud didn't respond to Aerith, he keeps staring out into space. 

"...It was about Sephiroth, wasn't it? You can tell me." Aerith reassured him. 

Cloud didn't want to talk, but wanted to answer Aerith. He turned to Aerith again, and nodded at her question. 

"It's alright. I had a nightmare about him as well." Aerith admitted. 

Cloud took a deep breath and approached Aerith. 

"Aerith, there's something you should know about Sephiroth." Cloud said. 

Aerith didn't respond, but she was ready to listen to him. 

"We knew each other. He was deemed a great war hero by many and was a first class SOLDIER, but then..." Cloud stopped himself. He still wasn't prepared to tell Aerith the whole story, and he doesn't think she'd be ready to hear it either. 

Aerith went for Cloud's hand to hold, Cloud hesitated at first, but he went for it as well, and held it tightly. Cloud briefly looked at Aerith's hand and looked back at her. 

"Look, let's make a promise. Aerith pleaded. "We won't stop until we defeat Sephiroth. No matter what comes at us, we have to stop him together. I don't know what he's planning, but if he wins, the planet will die. We can't let him win. We just can't."

"Alright, I promise. Sephiroth will be stopped. But you have to promise me one thing as well" Cloud replied. 

"What is it?" 

"You have to stick by us no matter what happens. You can't do anything dangerous without the group." 

"Cloud, you know I'm capable of defending myself. I can handle things well on my own." 

"I just...I just don't wanna see you get hurt." 

"I'll be okay." She said softly as he put her other hand on Cloud's.

They both stared each other down. Aerith smiled at Cloud while he still remained emotionless. Cloud sighed. 

"Alright."

"Great!" Aerith said. She let go of Cloud's hand and walked up to the railing to lean on it. Aerith began to stare at the sky. Cloud followed behind her. 

"You're not gonna go back to sleep?" Cloud questioned. 

"I'm not that tired." Aerith answered. 

Cloud and Aerith both looked up at the starry night sky. The warm air blew through their hair. 

"It's a really beautiful night tonight, isn't it?" Aerith asked Cloud as she turned to him. 

Cloud glanced at Aerith and turned back at the sky.

"Yeah, it sure is."

**Author's Note:**

> wanted to do this after beating the remake
> 
> my first time writing edgy angst stuff, and probably the last time too lol


End file.
